Radio-frequency telecommunication systems currently use various types of spread spectrum and spreading technology for transmitting and receiving data. Commonly used forms of spreading technology include frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS), direct-sequence spread spectrum (DSSS), orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) spread spectrum, and time-hopping spreading (THS).
Each of these techniques uses a spreading sequence to spread the transmitted signal across an allocated bandwidth or to transmit the signal in an allocated bandwidth at times determined by the spreading sequence. The spreading sequence used by an FHSS system may describe successive frequency bands to be used during successive predetermined intervals. The spreading sequence used by a DSSS system may be a spreading sequence that spreads the signal over a frequency band spanning the frequency components of the spreading sequence. The spreading sequence used by an OFDM system may select subcarriers from a set of mutually orthogonal subcarriers. The spreading sequence for a THS system may be a sequence of time intervals when the signal may be transmitted.